Saying Goodbye
by Purple Duskywing
Summary: Woody and Bo Peep's final goodbye in the rain had been difficult. Too sudden and too unbearable. They never wanted to relive that moment again. A slightly more romantic version of the prologue and ending scenes.


**So I saw the new Toy Story 4 last weekend and loved it! (I will say 'Spoiler Warning!' for those who haven't seen it, yet.) It was such a perfect way to end a fabulous franchise. I was totally taken up by the fact that it was entirely Woody's story and how he finds a new purpose in life. And reunites with Bo Peep! That ending scene was so sweet and heartfelt. 3 **

**This is just a quick, romantic drabble with the beginning and ending scenes. Who else wanted these two to kiss in the movie? I sure did. I even overheard some girls in the theater egging them on! So I fixed it! You're welcome.**

Saying Goodbye

"I'm glad to see this old lamp go to a good home…" came the voice of Andy's Mom, only slightly muffled by the closed window.

The rainstorm may have been loud, but Woody heard those words nonetheless. He was still stuck out on the sill with Slinky; the front half of Slinky, anyway. The dog's spring body was still pinned under the windowpane. It was just a minor setback after that rescue. RC was safe inside Molly's room, now, along with Buzz, Jessie, and the others. Woody and Slinky balanced on the ledge outside, waiting for a moment to get back in, and listened to the conversation.

"We've had it since Molly was a baby, you know." Andy's Mom went on.

There was a stranger in there, too; a man whom the toys did not recognize. "It'll look great in my own little girl's room. But Molly, are you sure it's alright?"

"Yeah. I don't want it anymore." The young girl replied without any hesitation.

The man looked happy as Andy's Mom brought out a cardboard box.

Woody pressed his hands against the glass that was streaked with rain. A terrible sense of fear quickly rose inside him…the glow from the lights of Molly's room may look warm and inviting, but there was no time to dwell on that. There was a crisis happening in there! They couldn't just _give away_ that lamp! Not when it meant so much to him.

He watched in a moment of horror as the lamp was picked up, the seemingly lifeless porcelain figurines along with it.

Woody jumped into action. Through the thundering downpour, he spied an unfamiliar car out on the driveway. "Slink! Get me down there!"

Slinky didn't even question why. He himself was upset—after all, every toy in the house liked Bo Peep. And everyone knew how much the cowboy cared about her.

Holding onto Slinky's paws, Woody was lowered down the side of the house. But not all the way, since the springy dog was still pinned under the windowpane. So the cowboy leapt onto the drainpipe and slid the rest of the way. In that time, an opportunity to open the window must have come, for through the storm, he heard the exclamation of Buzz asking Slinky, "Where's Woody?"

The cowboy didn't bother staying hidden as he ran towards the car. No one would notice a toy in the dark of this storm. The adrenaline pumping through him made the run even worse. What the next rescue plan was, he wasn't sure. If the stranger took that box away, Bo was a goner! Maybe there was a way to sneak inside the trunk, somehow, and rescue her from there. Woody splashed through the puddles that had formed underneath the car. A temporary shelter. It kind of looked neat, watching the rainstorm from here—water dripped down like curtains and would surely help to hide them once Bo and her sheep were out of that box.

With much anxiousness, Woody watched the strange man carry the cardboard box ever closer…he set it down at the car's rear end right under the trunk.

Woody's rationality won over his fear and stopped him from getting reckless. He waited for a chance to jump inside either the car or maybe even the box when no one was looking—but the man suddenly groaned and began jogging back to the house! What luck! Must've forgotten his keys.

The chance was too good to be true. Woody tugged the box under the car in three pulls and opened it frantically. With the dark rainstorm, it was hard to see her at first. But a flash of lightning illuminated the shepherdess comforting the three porcelain sheep. She seemed scared as well by this unexpected endeavor, but wore a brave face anyway. Her kind eyes met Woody's and she stood.

"Quick!" he held out a hand to pull her out. "We'll sneak into the hedges before he comes back—"

But Bo made no move to climb out. "Woody, it's OK…"

He was stunned for a second. "Wha—? No, no, no, you can't go! What's best for Andy is that you—"

"Woody…" Bo went on forlornly. "I'm not Andy's toy."

The cowboy stared. That was true…but Andy often borrowed her for his own toys' plays, right? Wasn't that enough?

Bo reminded of the sad, but all-too-true reality of this. "It's time for the next kid." Across the rain-soaked lawn, the door could be heard opening. The man was coming back; the silhouettes of the human adults stood in the doorway, talking for a few minutes. There wasn't much time. Woody turned to her, looking as heartbroken as she felt, but said nothing. Neither of them could comprehend all this at the moment. Suddenly, a radical idea came to her. "You know…kids lose their toys every day. Sometimes they get left in the yard, or put in the wrong box…"

"And that box gets taken away…" The subtle hint was there. Woody's eyes were full of mixed emotions. Leaving everything behind and running away with her? What would the others think if he disappeared? Or Andy, for that matter? But the thought of Bo leaving forever was much to bear. She meant a lot to him. Woody gripped the edge of the box in consideration…He leaned forward to climb in—

Then a panicked voice cried out, "Mom, where's Woody?! I can't find Woody!" Andy raced out into the rain, still wearing his western hat and dashed from bush to bush, searching for his favorite toy.

Under the car, Woody and Bo watched. Of course. Woody was forever Andy's favorite, and the cowboy was always a loyal sort who would always be there for him. After belonging to Andy's father originally, it would be unthinkable to leave. Bo understood this and rested a hand on his shoulder.

The two toys gazed sadly at one another. So this was it. They would never see each other again. Neither spoke. This was happening so fast—any second the man would return and take the box away. Bo dropped her shepherd's crook to straighten Woody's hat one last time. He looked so broken right now; she wiped the rain from his cheek and tried to smile. "I'll miss you, Sheriff."

"Bye, Bo." He replied ever so quietly.

"Goodbye." The way he blinked in disbelief made Bo hope this was all a dream. They quickly hugged, and she took the chance to leave a final sweet kiss on his lips before they broke apart.

Splashing footsteps approached; the man's keys jingled in time as he came near. Woody carefully pushed the closed–up box back out into the rain. He stood there to stare at it until the last possible moment as the box was quickly loaded up into the car's trunk. With Bo Peep in it.

When the car started and began backing up, Woody went into toy mode on the pavement. But even in this still form, he stared at the car's lights as it drove off, farther and farther away until the lights were gone and swallowed up by the storm. Only then did he go completely limp with an indescribable sadness. He didn't even hear Andy exclaim upon scooping him up, "There you are! Mom, I found him!"

The journey back to Andy's room was hazy with emotion. After all, Bo would no longer be in the room across the hall. She was gone. Just like that; out of his life forever…

…

Woody took the loss of Bo very hard. For many days afterwards, he barely spoke to anyone. Not even Buzz or Jessie. He only wanted to be alone on a windowsill, or a shelf, or under the bed; just left alone with his thoughts. Rex and Hamm tried to cheer him up to no avail. But Bullseye was a great comfort to have around. The toy horse was silent and simply sat nearby, patiently waiting for the cowboy to heal.

And he did for the most part. But whenever the other toys mentioned Bo Peep, a despondent look came upon his face. Often he turned away or tried to hide it with his hat, but everyone noticed. The sadness always rose up upon anyone mentioning the shepherdess, even years later.

While Woody had returned to his old self, this one heartache would forever plague him. His own journey over the next several years with Andy had been great. The cowboy was dedicated in his role as an important toy, been as best a leader possible to the other toys, and helped his friends in times of trouble. But now that Andy was grown up, the sheriff's purpose seemed to be served. Andy no longer needed him. After getting donated to a new owner along with the rest of his friends, he came upon a stark realization: Bonnie didn't need him, either.

Woody liked their new owner. She was an imaginative little girl. But she was more drawn to the other toys in the room, leaving him feeling a tad neglected. Sure, he was disappointed at not being played with very often, but what could he do about that? Not much. After a whole existence of being Andy's favorite, and Andy's father's favorite before that, Woody wasn't sure at how to handle this new role in Bonnie's world.

The other toys were happy. But whatever his own purpose was, he had no idea.

…

Then the road trip happened. A chain of events involving a spork, an antique store with those terrifying dummies, and a vintage doll who so desperately wanted to belong to someone of her own. Woody had even given up his voice box along the way. But he had gotten that spork back to Bonnie in the end, and helped Gabby find a forever home. (Though the doll's means of getting there had been somewhat vindictive, Woody hoped she had learned a lesson.)

And Bo Peep was alongside him the entire journey. Oh, how overjoyed they were to have found each other! So many years had passed. Bo was an adventurous and happy lost toy. Even with no owner, she was glad to play with any child who just happened to come by. Yet she was still the same Bo he remembered: kind, good-hearted and charming, who never ignored a toy in need. Despite the few chips and cracks she and her sheep had taken, this life suited them.

Woody was proud to know her.

Now that the whole fiasco was over, the group of toys stood on the edge of the carousel while the RV was stalled down below. With Forky and the rest of the toys creating distractions and buying time, Woody said some farewells to his new friends: the two stuffed plushies, the stuntman, the tiny cop…and now Bo.

The bright lights of the carnival shone all around; an endless array of colors and sound. Families were laughing and having a great time. This was a happy place, as it should be…so why was Woody reliving those same moments from all those years ago in the rainstorm? He finally looked up to face the beautiful porcelain figurine whom he still loved.

Woody couldn't say anything at first. Instead, he kneeled down to the three sheep. "Billy, Goat, Gruff—take care of her, girls…"

Bo stared back, also remembering the long-ago suggestion of running away together. But Woody had a home, now; a new owner. She couldn't ask him to leave it all behind. "I—uh…"

"Um…" he struggled to get the words out, too. Was this really it? Saying goodbye all over again?

Bo found her voice first. "I'm glad I got to see you again." She put her arms around him for a bittersweet hug.

"Me, too." Woody hugged her back. Out of the corner of one eye, Buzz was seen waiting on the other side of the RV's extended awning. The rotating colored lights of nearby rides reflected off the space ranger's helmet. Spinning like the turning hands of a clock, reminding Woody that it was time to go.

He regretfully climbed off the carousel's roof and onto the awning, but he still gripped the edge, just like that cardboard box he had come so close to climbing into. This sure felt familiar. "Bye, Bo…"

And he turned to leave with a heavy heart. His cowboy hat bent down to hide his face as he approached Buzz. A sudden hesitation came…Did he even want to go back to Bonnie? So much had happened since jumping out of the RV. It all began with a mad chase after a spork and had ended with finding his long-lost love. He'd helped a neglected toy find a forever home—a slightly misguided toy, but he'd helped her all the same. And there were so many other toys in these parts who may need help, too…Would Bonnie even notice the cowboy doll she rarely played with was even missing?

All these thoughts came to Woody fast and hard. He looked up at his best friend to seek advice. "Buzz, I—I…"

"She'll be OK." Buzz said with reassurance.

Woody wanted to look back at Bo, but wasn't sure if he could have his heart broken again. Buzz was right. She would be OK…he nodded sadly.

Then Buzz confirmed, "_Bonnie_ will be OK."

Woody looked up with a hope. "You sure?"

"Hey. Listen to your inner voice." The space ranger smiled, not taking the advice from earlier quite as literally, now. Buzz was sad at the thought of Woody leaving. But the cowboy had been lost for so long. Not physically, but lost in other ways during his time with Bonnie. Buzz could see that this was where Woody was wanted most and where he wanted to be the most. And that was here. With Bo.

The two friends exchanged a smile of understanding.

New joy rose within Woody as he looked back over one shoulder. There, in the swirling carnival lights, the porcelain doll had never looked more beautiful. Right then and there, he decided.

Bo Peep was still there on the edge of the carousel, watching and waiting until the last possible moment. She expected them both to jump down into the RV and drive away forever. But then Woody turned around and ran back.

She didn't hesitate in jumping down to the awning and running up to him, too.

He picked her up in an embrace and twirled her around, eyes closed in contentment. She hugged him tighter than ever before, a smile buried in his neck. How long that loving spin lasted, neither could tell, but both were full of joy to realize that this new life was where Woody belonged.

When he set her on her feet, they didn't break apart. Bo kissed him tenderly without a second thought. Woody returned it with joy, still holding her in a warm embrace. The kiss was long and very sweet; who cared if Buzz was watching? Neither had the words to describe their happiness. They only beamed with serenity under the glowing carnival lights. That last goodbye in the rainstorm had been hard enough. This was a new beginning, for they loved each other too much to ever say goodbye again.

**A bit fluffy, but hey, that was the point! I'm secretly a sucker for romantic stories and I so desperately wanted to add a little something to the scenes. Hope you enjoyed! Love, P.D.**


End file.
